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American ExpressAmex Essential Rewards
American ExpressAmex Explorer
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Amex Essential Rewards vs Amex Explorer
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First-year value after costs, on an assumed $2,000 a month
$200
$158 rewards + $150 bonus, less costs
$219
$239 rewards + $375 bonus, less costs
Amex Explorer's first-year value is $18 higher than Amex Essential Rewards's, on an assumed $2,000 a month.
An assumed $2,000 a month on the card. Drag to try yours
Figure by figure
First-year value
after costs, on an assumed $2,000 a month
$200
$219
$18 more · Higher value after costs
Sign-up bonus
in dollars, points at what a point buys
$150
30,000 Membership Rewards points
$375
75,000 Membership Rewards points
$225 more · Larger sign-up bonus
What the bonus asks
spend on the card
$3,000 in 3 months
$4,000 in 3 months
Offer ends
No end date
3 Nov 2026
Annual fee
ongoing, with any rewards program fee
$108
$9 a month
$287 less · Lower annual fee
$395
First-year fee
$108
the same as later years
$287 less · Lower first-year fee
$395
the same as later years
Rewards program
Membership Rewards
0.50¢ a point
Membership Rewards
0.50¢ a point
Earn rate
on everyday spend, at what a point buys
1
Membership Rewards points per $1 · about 0.50% back
2
Membership Rewards points per $1 · about 1.00% back
0.50% more back · Higher earn rate
Purchase rate
23.99%
a year
23.99%
a year
Interest-free days
on purchases, at most
55 days
55 days
Overseas transaction fee
3.50%
of each overseas purchase
3.50%
of each overseas purchase
Additional cardholder fee
None
a year for each extra card
None
a year for each extra card
Minimum credit limit
$2,000
$3,000
Complimentary travel insurance
No
Included
Airport lounge access
Included
domestic
Included
international
Network
Amex
Amex
Over time
Each card's figure as it stood each week since we began tracking cards. A move shows as ▲ or ▼ in the week it happened.
As of 14 October 2026, Amex Essential Rewards charges $108 a year and its sign-up offer is 30,000 Membership Rewards points; Amex Explorer charges $395 a year and its sign-up offer is 75,000 Membership Rewards points. Points are valued at what a point buys (a bank's own points at its gift card rate, airline points at 0.8¢), and the value after costs is worked out on the spend above. Each row says which figure is higher or lower; it doesn't rank the cards.
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